Which condition is a contraindication to the use of albuterol?

Which condition is a contraindication to the use of albuterol?

• A. Tachycardia
• B. Bronchospasm
• C. Hypotension
• D. Hypokalemia

Answer: (A)

Albuterol stimulates beta-2 receptors to open the airways, but it can also raise heart rate. When a patient already has tachycardia, giving albuterol can worsen the rapid heart rate and raise the risk of arrhythmias, so tachycardia is a contraindication in this context. The other conditions don’t fit as absolute barriers: bronchospasm is exactly what albuterol treats, so it’s not a contraindication. Hypotension isn’t a direct contraindication, though clinicians watch for how beta-agonists affect blood pressure. Hypokalemia isn’t a contraindication either; albuterol can actually shift potassium into cells and decrease serum potassium, which may require caution but isn’t an outright exclusion.

Albuterol stimulates beta-2 receptors to open the airways, but it can also raise heart rate. When a patient already has tachycardia, giving albuterol can worsen the rapid heart rate and raise the risk of arrhythmias, so tachycardia is a contraindication in this context. The other conditions don’t fit as absolute barriers: bronchospasm is exactly what albuterol treats, so it’s not a contraindication. Hypotension isn’t a direct contraindication, though clinicians watch for how beta-agonists affect blood pressure. Hypokalemia isn’t a contraindication either; albuterol can actually shift potassium into cells and decrease serum potassium, which may require caution but isn’t an outright exclusion.